The Ada House journal
Practical tips
Local culture, hidden corners and practical tips — from the people who actually live here.
Thai public holidays: what closes, the alcohol ban, and how to plan around it
Most days the city hums along as normal — but a handful of holidays close the banks, shut immigration and stop the shops selling beer. Here's how to plan around them.
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Tipping and Bargaining in Chiang Mai: How It Actually Works
Neither tipping nor haggling is the minefield first-timers fear. Here's how both really work in Chiang Mai — relaxed, modest and always with a smile.
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Ride and Delivery Apps in Chiang Mai: Your Survival Guide
A handful of apps quietly run daily life in Chiang Mai — summoning a car, delivering dinner, restocking the fridge. Here's how to use them from day one, and where the old red trucks still win.
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Dangerous Animals in Chiang Mai: A Calm Guide to Snakes, Stings and Bites
Chiang Mai's snakes, centipedes, scorpions and mosquitoes look scarier than they are. A calm field guide to what is genuinely risky, what is not, and exactly what to do if something bites or stings you.
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Common scams in Chiang Mai (and how to sidestep them)
Good news first: Chiang Mai is gentle, and the handful of scams here are mild and easy to dodge. A little awareness is genuinely all it takes — here's the lot.
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Volunteering in Chiang Mai: how to give back without doing harm
Wanting to help is the easy part. Helping well takes a little more care. Here's how to give back in Chiang Mai without doing harm.
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Travel & health insurance for a long stay in Chiang Mai
It's the boring purchase you forget about — until the day you very much don't. Here's how to get it right.
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Solo female travel in Chiang Mai: an honest, reassuring guide
Chiang Mai is one of the easiest places in Asia to land alone as a woman — and end up staying. Here's the honest reality, minus the fear.
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Cannabis in Thailand: what travellers need to know
The law around cannabis in Thailand is genuinely unsettled and tightening. Here's a neutral, responsible orientation — and one firm message: verify the current rules first.
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Chiang Mai's burning season: an honest guide to the smoke
For a few weeks each spring, the air here turns genuinely bad. We'd rather tell you the truth and help you plan than pretend it away.
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SIM cards, eSIMs & internet in Chiang Mai
Good news for remote workers: Chiang Mai is one of the easiest, cheapest places on earth to get online. Here's how to sort your SIM, eSIM and wifi.
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Renting a scooter in Chiang Mai: the honest guide
A scooter is the cheapest freedom in Chiang Mai — and the single biggest real risk. Here's how to do it legally, safely and without the classic scams.
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